JetBoil STASH Stove Review

1/2 the Weight of Previous JetBoil Stoves! Retains Signature JetBoil Performance & Features

jetboil stash stove with spoon and mug on a picnic bench

New Jetboil STASH Stove | Jetboil Performance & Features at 1/2 the Weight!

This is a Jetboil Stash Review, and boy have we got a game changer (shop now). At half the weight of previous Jetboil stoves, the STASH still retains the performance, fuel efficiency, and creature comforts that everybody loves about JetBoil stoves. A win, win. It competes for head to head with the weight of many ultralight alcohol stoves but surpasses them on boil times, fuel efficiency, ease of use, and simmer control. As such we see it enticing many types of backpackers to switch to the STASH — backpackers that don’t carry a stove due to weight, ultralight alcohol stove users, MSR Pocket Rocket owners, and of course current JetBoil owners who want to save nearly half a pound.

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6 Highlights | JetBoil STASH Review | The Perfect Backpacking Stove

  1. The single best stove on the market: After two season’s use of always choosing Jetboil STASH over every other stove, we are are now confident that it is the single best option for a backpacking stove thanks to its low weight, compact, and user-friendly attributes.
  2. JetBoil Performance, Just Lighter: JetBoil STASH is 1/2 the weight of previous JetBoil Stoves yet gives up very little in functionality. In most 3-season conditions you’ll likely see similar performance to heavier JetBoil Stoves with boil times & fuel efficiency similar to our favorite JetBoil, the MiniMo. [Albeit the STASH takes a bit longer to boil 2 cups vs. the sub-2-minutes of the Jetboil Flash. And yes, we tested all this performance in the field and in the lab.]
  3. Smaller Compact Form: The new STASH is substantially smaller than the Jetboil Flash or MiniMo. We especially like its great internal organization and that nothing rattles around inside the pot. E.g. the fuel canister neatly snaps securely into the lid in exactly the right position to miss the stove burner.
  4. Universal Pot/Pan compatibility: Unlike other JetBoils, the JetBoil STASH’s new burner will work with any pot or pan without the need for an adapter. E.g. super nice if you also bring a small frying pan.
  5. Pot Stability: The JetBoil STASH’s new burner pot support arms have a notch that interlocks with the flux-ring on the bottom of the pot. This makes it hard to accidentally knock the pot off the stove.
  6. Amazing, Ultralight Coffee: The STASH with a 1.5 oz French Press attachment makes amazing, barista-quality backcountry coffee! The whole STASH cooking system (pot + burner) with the Jetboil Grande Silicone Coffee Press attachment is only 9 ounces. That total JetBoil system is about 3 ounces lighter than just the GSI Outdoors Java Press which does not include a stove or pot to boil water.

Field & Lab Testing

We field-tested the new JetBoil STASH Stove System for winter hiking and camping in the Appalachian Mountains including below freezing and windy conditions. We also lab tested the stove against the competition for boil time, fuel efficiency, and ease of use in all conditions — warm and cold temperatures, calm conditions, and windy — and all combinations. Checkout our Compared To Section to see how the JetBoil Stash fared against the competition, including the MSR Pocket Rocket, and our Favorite Alcohol Stove, the Trail Designs Caldera.

Full Video Review of JetBoil STASH Stove

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words what is a comprehensive video of the JetBoil STASH Stove review worth? There’s stuff in here that we can’t begin to cover in other formats.

Key Specs | JetBoil STASH Stove System

Weight: 7.1 oz, 210g (7.4 oz, 210g as tested including 7g stove sleeve)
Capacity: 0.8 L
BTU: 4,500
Boil Time: 2 min 30 sec for 0.5 L
Fuel Efficiency: 12 liters boiled / 100 g Fuel (vs. ~7.5 for a standard canister stove)
Pressure Regulator: No
Built-in Ignition: No
MSRP: $145

best backpacking stove - the new JetBoil STASH stove. all components laid out

The whole JetBoil STASH Stove Cooking System. Clockwise from upper right, new 0.8 L pot with folding handle, pot lid that the canister snaps into place, new titanium burner, Fuel Canister Stabilizer Legs (included in the kit but not in total weight), and Jetboil Grande Silicone Coffee Press attachment (not included in the kit, but a highly recommended purchase!).

Jetboil STASH Stove Review

The Jetboil Flash is one of the best selling backpacking stoves of all time It’s easy to use, boils water fast, has an appealing slim form, and has that “wow-cool-gizmo!” factor going for it.

So it’s a big surprise that with the 2021 STASH Jetboil has suddenly bested all its previous stoves by a large margin. That is, they cut the weight in half but retained almost everything that was good and cool about Jetboil Stoves. It has the fast boil times, great fuel efficiency, and the ease of use you expect from JetBoil. But it’s even smaller and almost a half pound lighter! Below we summarize what’s great about the stove, how it compares to the competition  including the MSR Pocket Rocket, and our Favorite Alcohol Stove, the Trail Designs Caldera and how it is better.

PROs JetBoil STASH Stove — Weight Savings & Features

For the sake of comparison in this Jetboil Stash Review, we will use our previous favorite Jetboil stove, the MiniMo. Among other factors, it has the similar wide pot form factor we find especially useful.

jetboil stash backpacking stove burner comparison

2.8 oz Savings | Stove Burner

The new titanium stove burner (left) yields the greatest weight savings vs. the MiniMo burner (right). The Jetboil STASH Stove burner foregoes all extraneous features — it has no pressure regulator, no piezo igniter, and no flange to lock it to the bottom of the cook pot. BUT the JetBoil STASH’s new burner pot support arms have a notch that interlocks with the flux-ring on the bottom of the pot. This makes it hard to accidentally knock the pot off the stove. The only downside of note is that the lack of a pressure regulator increases boil times in very cold temps vs. a regulated stove like the MiniMo — but fuel efficiency remains the same! See more about pressure regulated stoves.

jetboil stash vs jetboil minimo size

Smaller and Lighter: It’s easy to see how much more compact the new JetBoil STASH (grey) is vs. the MiniMo (orange).

2.3 oz Savings | Pot

The new pot saves weight a number of ways. It uses thinner walls but is still plenty strong. It lacks the insulating sleeve of previous pots but more than makes up for it with a great folding handle. It’s 0.8 vs the 1.0 L of many JetBoil pots but we find this size sufficient to make two cups of coffee or cook meals for two (it can boil 2-3 cups, which is more than enough for rehydrating any dried, or freeze dried meal with room to spare). Finally it has a lighter lid.

1.7 oz Savingins | No Bottom Pot Cover

We were always a bit confused about the “Bottom cover [that] doubles as a measuring cup and bowl” and routinely left it at home. We’re glad that JetBoil decided not to include its weight and cost with the stove. The bottom covers is pictured on the MinoMo one the left.

6.8 oz Total Weight Savings vs. MiniMo

Inside of the jetboil STASH stove with stove stashed

Compact & Organized

We especially like the Jetboil STASH Stove for its great internal organization and that nothing rattles around inside the pot. E.g. the fuel canister neatly snaps securely into the lid in exactly the right position to miss the stove burner (which normally has a cloth protective sleeve that we removed for the photo). We are also big fans of the ergonomic, cool touch folding handle.

CONs & Things to Know

Things to Know about Jetboil STASH Stove

To sum things up, for most 3-season use the Jetboil STASH is a great stove for most backpackers  (shop now). The STASH is 50% lighter, more compact than the most JetBoil stoves. In the warmer more benign conditions of most protected 3-season campsites it has similar performance to most JetBoil stoves. And it definity has far better performance than almost all non-JetBoil Stoves.

But no piece of gear is perfect for all users in all situations. Where the STASH struggles a bit is in the combination of both near freezing temperatures and wind — the most challenging conditions for any stove. And similar stoves like the Flash or MSR Pocket Rocket also struggle in these conditions. With skilled use these can be managed*. But our favorite cold Weather Stove, the Jetboil MiniMo Cooking System thrives in these conditions continuing to boil water quickly and with good fuel efficiency. This is why we picked it for our traverse on the Southern Patagonia Ice Shelf.

Note: There are some advanced techniques to use stoves like the STASH in cold and wind (warming the canister, and safe wind protection) but they are beyond the scope of this review.

CONs

  1. Boil Time vs. Flash: The Flash’s 9,000 BTU, blowtorch heat output boils 0.5 L in 100 seconds vs the STASH’s 4,500 BTU’s boil time of 150 seconds. But the Flash’s boil speed comes at a price. The Flash is 20% less fuel efficient than the STASH and it can’t simmer.
  2. Cold & Windy Conditions: the STASH struggles in the combination of both near freezing temperatures and wind — the most challenging conditions for any stove. (But it actually fares better than most canister stoves.)
  3. It has a 0.8 L pot: While we think this is fine to make two cups of coffee and cook 2-person meals (that is the volume is adequate for boiling 2-3 cups, which is more than enough for rehydrating any dried, or freeze dried meal with room to spare). Some campers making large volume meals in the pot like dehydrated potatoes, or cooking for 3 may prefer the full 1.0 L pot like the Flash or MiniMo.
  4. No insulation: The cook pot has no insulation sleeve. As such, the contents of the pot will cool more quickly.
  5. No burner-to-pot twist lock: The old twist lock between burner and stove made it impossible to knock the pot off the stove (altho it was also sometimes hard to separate pot and hot stove when you wanted to pour). That being said the pot retention groove in the STASH’s burner’s do a good job interlocking with the pot flux ring making it far harder to knock off a both than on as conventional canister stove like the MSR pocket rocket.

Compared to the Competition | Canister Stoves

The JetBoil Flash Cooking System

Jetboil Flash Cooking System

Weight: 13.1 ounces
Capacity: 1.0 L
BTU: 9,000
Boil Time: 1 min 40 sec for 0.5 L
Fuel Efficiency: 10 liters boiled / 100 g Fuel
MSRP: $115

Arguably the most significant competition to the Jetboil STASH Stove is one of the all time most popular backpacking stove, the JetBoil Flash.

STASH is 40% lighter, more compact and 20% more fuel efficient than the Flash. Its wider pot is easier to cook in & clean and the new burner is compatible with most pots and pans. Finally, in our field and lab testing the STASH was less sensitive to wind than the Flash.

In favor of the Flash is its blow torch heat output (9,000 vs 4,500 BTU) and consequently faster boil times in calm winds (100 vs. 150 secs). The Flash also has a larger pot capacity and a built in igniter. We leave it up to the reader, if those features are worth almost 1/2 pound more in weight.

Jetboil MiniMo stove System

Jetboil MiniMo Cooking System

Weight: 14 ounces
Capacity: 1.0 L
BTU: 6,000
Boil Time: 2 min 15 sec for 0.5 L
Fuel Efficiency: 12 liters boiled / 100 g Fuel
MSRP: $165

For most backpackers on most 3-season trips, the Jetboil STASH Stove is likely the best option. The STASH is 50% lighter, more compact, costs $20 less and is compatible with non-JetBoil pots and pans. In warmer temps without much wind the stoves have similar performance.

Where the MiniMo shines is when temps get near freezing. In this case, its pressure regulated burner outperforms the STASH with significantly faster boil times (see more about pressure regulated stoves). Add some wind to that cold and the MiniMo does even better as the interlocking burner ring and and pot flux ring create a wind protected area for the burner. So if you think you’ll be frequently using your stove around freezing and can’t protect it sufficiently from wind, the MiniMo might be a better choice even if it does weigh 7 ounces more.

About Pressure Regulated Backpacking Stoves

Examples of pressure regulated stoves are the Jetboil MiniMo Cooking System and MSR PocketRocket® Deluxe Stove.

Most backpacking stoves don’t have a pressure regulator — this is fine for the warmer temperatures of most 3-season backpacking — and regulators add cost and weight to a stove. But when outside air temps drop the temperature of the your fuel canister also drops. As a consequence the fuel pressure in the canister drops and your heat output of your stove (BTUs) proportionally declines. In short, when it gets cold, unregulated stoves do not put out as much heat — the colder it is, the less heat they put out. When combined with already cold water in your pot and colder outside temperatures you can expect longer boil times.

In contrast, a stove with a regulator has the same fuel output, and same heat output (BTUs) even as temperatures and canister pressure drops. In short, a regulated stove puts out the same amount of heat, even when temps get around freezing. You are still contending with colder pot water and colder outside temperatures but your stove is putting out the same amount of heat is it would on a warm day. This means significantly faster boil times for a stove with a regulator vs. and unregulated stove.

MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove Kit (2-person)

Conventional Canister Stove System: MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove Kit (2-person)

Weight: 13.1 ounces
Capacity: 1.2 L
BTU: 8,200
Boil Time: 1 min 45 sec for 0.5 L
Fuel Efficiency: 7.5 liters boiled / 100 g Fuel
MSRP: $140

For 3-season use, this is pretty much a full advantage for the JetBoil STASH Stove. It’s 50% lighter and is more fuel-efficient (12 L per 100 g fuel vs. 7.5 for the Pocket Rocket). Combined these add up to big weight savings on a week-long backpacking trip. The STASH’s wider pot is easier to cook in & clean and interlocks with the burner arms making it hard to knock off.

The MSR PocketRocket 2 Mini Stove Kit does have a larger pot (1.2 L vs 0.8L). It’s ~2x higher BTU output boils water a lot faster, albeit without the JetBoil’s fuel efficiency. An in cold weather the Pocket Rocket 2 regulated stove boils water even faster vs. the STASH’s unregulated burner.

TOAKS Titanium 900ml D130mm Pot

AOTU UL Backpacking Stove

Bargain Canister Stove System: TOAKS Titanium 900ml D130mm Pot with the AOTU UL Backpacking Stove (or similar and lighter titanium BRS 3000T Stove Backpacking Stove)

Weight: 7.1 ounces
Capacity: 0.9 L
MSRP: $65 (Pot $45, Stove $20)

If you are on a budget things get a bit more interesting here. For a similar weight this system costs 1/2 of the JetBoil Stash, saving you $65. It has a nice wide pot that is easy to cook in and clean. But this budget system lacks the fuel efficiency of the JetBoil and it’s quite easy to accidentally knock the pot off the stove. And unlike the Pocket Rocket option above, it is not pressure regulated so will have slower boil times in cold weather.

MSR reactor cooking system

MSR Reactor Stove System

Weight: 14.7 ounces
Capacity: 1.0 L
BTU: 9,000
Boil Time: 1 min 45 sec for 0.5 L
Fuel Efficiency: 8.8 liters boiled / 100 g Fuel
MSRP: $219.95

For most 3-season use the STASH is likely a better stove for most backpackers. The STASH is 50% lighter, more compact and does what you need a stove to do. Its wider pot is easier to cook in & clean and the new burner is compatible with most pots and pans. And of course it’s $100 less expensive — nearly 1/2 the price!

Where the MSR Reactor Stove System shines is in cold and windy conditions. Its thermonuclear output, wind protected burner and heat exchanger pot are virtually un-affected by wind and cold. In our tests its cold+wind time to boil (2m 15s) was nearly the same as for warm+calm conditions (1m 45s). So if you need to heat lots of water when it’s below freezing or melt snow, this is the stove of choice. Altho, theres no simmer mode — only thermonuclear heat. And you’ll need to pay a steep price for that cold Wx performance.

As we said previously, in all but the direst cold conditions we’d take the far more versatile Jetboil MiniMo over the MSR Reactor Stove.

Jetboil Stash Review: Compared to Ultralight Alcohol Stoves

trail designs Ti Tri Stove system

Trail Designs | TOAKS 900 ml Ti Pot & Sidewinder Ti-Tri Stove System

Weight: 5.5 oz (156g | Pot + Cone & Sleeve + Kojin Burner)
Capacity: 0.9 L
BTU: ?
Boil Time: Approx 6-7 min for 0.5 L
Fuel Efficiency: Approx 4 liters boiled / 100 g Fuel (alcohol fuel has 1/2 the energy of propane/butane canister)
MSRP: $110.95

A only 7.1 oz we expect the Jetboil STASH Stove to take a big chunk out of the alcohol stove market. We’re guessing that many will adopt the STASH. It’s far easier to use, faster to light, much faster to boil, and has a simmer option. In cold weather the faster boil times of the STASH are most welcome.

In favor for the Trail Designs Sidewinder: it is lighter for solo trips, almost silent and nearly impossible to knock over. You can leave it unattended to boil water while you are busy with other camp chores. It’s even smaller and more compact. It is far more wind resistant, retaining similar boil times even in moderate wind. And it’s fuel is more readily available (in the US and around the world) and can be taken in any amount to match your trip. This greatly reduces weight on shorter trips. And there are no partially used canisters that need to be responsibly disposed of. Finally, the Trail Designs stove has the option to burn wood or Esbit tablets.

BUT, the 7 ounce STASH re-opens the whole debate on whether a “heat-exchanger-style*” alcohol stove like the Trail Designs Sidewinder is lighter for long trips vs. the heavier but more fuel-efficient JetBoil. Certainly, slicing 7 oz from the JetBoil stove narrows the total weight advantage if not shifting things in JetBoil’s favor for longer and/or multi-person trips. It’s a very complicated comparison with many scenarios that may never be fully answered — but we’re re-running the analysis in light of the STASH.

*Technically both stoves have heat exchangers to increase the percentage of heat actually transferred to the pot to boil water. For JetBoil this is a ring of fins on the bottom of the pot, FluxRing®. This increases the surface area for heat transfer—similar to a car radiator operated in reverse. For the TD Caldera, the entire pot and stove are enclosed in the heated Caldera cone. Thus the whole surface area of the pot, including the sides transfer heat. The cone also reduces convective heat loss (chimney effect) by trapping the heated air in the cone and a slowing the heated air from rising away from the pot.

jetboil stash stove with mug and french press attachment

Jetboil STASH Review Conclusion | The Best Overall Backpacking Stove

As we’re now confident that Jetboil STASH is the best stove, the most user friendly, and with the best performance to weight, we’re guessing that it will dethrone the Flash or Pocket Rocket as “the stove of choice for most backpackers” — as well as attracting hikers currently not taking a stove due to weight.

The JetBoil STASH’s advantages over the Flash

  • It’s 6 oz lighter (almost 50%)
  • Similar performance to the Flash (albeit a bit slower but still decent boil times)
  • Similar cost to the Flash
  • Smaller, compact size with wider easier to cook in and clean pot
  • It has better simmer control (or more accurately the Flash doesn’t simmer)
  • Universal pot compatibility (you can bring your frying pan without needing an adapter like other JetBoils)

When would you choose another stove?

Well in warm and calm conditions if the fastest boil times are your highest priority the 9,000 BTU Jetboil Flash might be a better choice — if you are willing to take the 6 oz weight penalty. And if it’s cold and windy the Jetboil MinoMo with its pressure regulated and more wind-protected burner does far better for both boil times and fuel efficiency. And either the Flash or the MiniMo might be better if you think you need the xtra 0.2 L capacity of the 1 L pot to make your trip work.